Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

**Nora POV

“What can you tell me about Lanecreek?”I asked.“I’d like to know a little bit about their customsbe” re we visit.”

Blake looked up from the papers on his desk and frowned. He was trying to get ahead on his work. There were a number of letters to respond to after the Moon Dance. Apparently, it was common for people who had found their mate to thank him for hosting and invite him to celebrate with them. It was a formality, he never actually went, but would send his blessing and a small gift.

“I don’t know,” he said. He leaned back in his chairand looked at me.“I know almost nothing about Lanecreek.”

“What do you mean?”I asked in surprise. He was theking, how could he not know?

“Alpha Phill*p closed the borders years ago. Theydon’t allow visitors and they don’t trade with any other packs. I could have insisted on visiting, but I didn’t see the point. I don’t know anything about their customs.”

“It’s a dangerous ga mble to isolate a pack like that,”Isaid.“If they were attacked by another pack or if an illness were to break out they would have no allies to come to their aid. So many things could go wrong…”I let my sentence trail off. Blake was smiling at me in a strange way.“What?”

“I agree.”

“Why are you smiling though?”“You’re thinking like a Luna.”

I could feel my face heat up and I quickly looked away from him. The idea of becoming his Luna was too overwhelming to think about.

“When are we going to finish the ritual?”I asked.

He chuckled a little but let me change the subject. “When we get back, unless you want to do it sooner.”

“No, that should be fine,”I said.“How long could ittake?”

**

When Blake had reached out to Alpha Phill*p, his uncle had responded. It seemed that there was no way around meeting with him. We were going to have to indul ge his dinner invitation to figure out what the heck is going on. Blake was stressed out about it all.

It didn’t help that we really didn’t know what we were walking into.

The closer the car got to the Lanecreek packhouse, the more nervous I got. There was a tense aura of unease around Blake and he hadn’t spoken a word since we’d left the castle. It was unnerving.

I wanted to ask him if he was okay, but I was afraid of interrupting his train of thought. I didn’t think he would be annoyed with me, but I didn’t want to risk it either. This whole ordeal had him on edge.

We turned onto a cobblestone street and the rattling of the car seemed to shake Blake from his reverie. He looked at me suddenly, as if he’d just realized that I was sitting beside him.

“Stay close to me when we get there,” he said firmly.“I will,”I assured him. There was no way I was goingto get caught alone with a dangerous man running around.

He nodded at my answer and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. His k*ssed my temple and I smiled and leaned into his touch. Blake had gotten into the habit of holding me close when he was feeling uncertain or stressed out. I wasn’t about to complain. There was nowhere I would rather be than in his arms.